Trending Now

You are here

Poultry Grand Champion’s efforts a family affair

ARGOS — It’s a family tradition.
You could call the Lemlers from Bourbon a real 4-H Family. Breanna — a 2013 grad of Triton along with siblings Bethany, 22, and Blake, 20 — were all successful veterans of the meat Poultry divisions of the Marshall County Fair. Fellow 4-H vet — father Tim Lemler — is the Poultry Superintendent.
One family 4-H goal — win grand champion in all four poultry divisions. With Breanna, that goal has finally come true.
“It’s something that we aspired to as a family and when all of us were competing we thought we could do it,” said Breanna. “As my brother and sister grew up and moved on it seemed like it wouldn’t happen.”
That was before this year, when Breanna did it herself — taking Grand Champion in chicken, duck, geese and turkey divisions.
“I started in 4-H and graduated from the program back in 1980,” said dad Tim Lemler. “You could really say this was something that was 43 years in the making.”
The Lemler house was always a hot bed of poultry competition.
“It was like a show every year when we would choose the animals we were going to take to the fair,” said Breanna. “All three of us (the Lemler siblings) would get together with Dad and go over everything just like it was the contest.”
“(Tim’s wife) Melinda is the backbone of everything,” said Tim. “She’s the boss when it comes down to it, getting everything down, putting it in the computer and analyzing everything. She keeps it all straight.”
The family is using Breanna’s success to give back to the program that has meant so much to them. Beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday all four of her Grand Champion animals were up for auction at the fair. She has decided to take half of those proceeds to go toward her college education. The other half she will donate to the 4-H program in Marshall County.
“A lot of my life has gone into this program and it has meant a lot to my whole family,” said Breanna. “It’s given me a lot of things and I want to give back.”
“4-H has given a lot to me and to everyone in our house,” said Tim. “We all have friends and opportunities all over that we would never have if it wasn’t for the program. We’re happy to do what we can to support it.”